Dr. Innes rolled his eyes. "Aye, you'll fit right in as leader. I think it's a bloody requirement for them to be stubborn and test my patience."
Asher cleared his throat. "What do you need, Dr. Innes?"
The other male answered, "The other two leaders mentioned how you'll be needing out of this room today. So I'm here to do a final check and give you stern instructions about your recovery, which I'm sure you won't follow."
Since Asher had lost too much time in prison as it was, he didn't beat around the bush if he could help it. "I'm not stupid, but I'll push boundaries. Tell me what I absolutely can't do without risking a relapse, or worse, permanent damage."
The other male didn't miss a beat. "No flying, end of story. I'm not sure how the damage to your back will affect your wings in dragon form. The first time you shift, I want to be there."
After so many years of not being able to fly, the thought of being earthbound again for an unknown amount of time didn't sit well with him. "I won't, but when can I try?"
Dr. Innes glanced between the pair. "We'll see, aye? I suspect you'll be busy with clan matters for a wee while anyway. All I ask is that you keep an open line of communication with me. If I call or text, you answer. You don't do that—barring some clan emergency—then I will station a Protector with you at all times to act as my liaison. And they won't be from this clan, either, so they'll listen to my authority over yours."
Honoria jumped in and asked, "You're a tough one, aren't you?"
The doctor raised his blond brows. "When you deal with clan leaders, you have to be."
Even though he may not want to follow Dr. Innes's orders to the letter, he admired the male for his dedication. At that thought, he had an idea. "What would you say to helping us pick a head doctor for Skyhunter?"
Gregor blinked. "Oh, aye? Are you sure about that? I already get the sense the people here don't like outsiders."
Honoria chimed in, "No, I think it's a brilliant idea. Ash and I will make the final decision, but we need to appoint someone who's dedicated and will risk ordering us about, like you've been doing, when needed."
Dr. Innes bobbed his head. "I'm interested, but can I bring my mate into this to help me? She's probably had more interaction with the other English dragon-shifter doctors than I have. And I think, for the time being, your clan will trust an English dragon-shifter over ones from other parts of the UK."
Dr. Innes's mate was also a doctor. Not just any doctor, but Stonefire's head doctor. She was back on Stonefire, unable to travel because of her pregnancy.
He and Honoria nodded at one another before Asher replied, "Your mate is well-known even down here. If she helps, it'll be an even better choice, I'm sure."
The corner of Dr. Innes's mouth ticked up. "Don't tell her that, aye? Otherwise, I'll never hear the end of it."
After finishing his final check and giving a few more orders—Ash was to limit any intense physical activity for a few more days—the Scottish doctor left.
Meeting Honoria's gaze, he asked, "So, are you ready to get to work?"
She kissed him and answered, "More than anything. Our first meeting tonight will be extremely important. So we're going to have to stop kissing and touching to focus on it. Not that I want to, of course, but if we don't nail this and start stirring confidence or earning trust, our leadership may be doomed before it even begins."
He agreed. And while Asher did his best to work on the speech and coordinate how they'd run the meeting, he did steal a few kisses here and there. After all, distractions helped to reboot the brain at times.
And he couldn't wait until he could do more than distract his dragonwoman. Asher looked forward to when he could steal her away and become her whole world for a few hours.
Chapter Eleven
Before the clan-wide meeting in the great hall on Skyhunter, Honoria and Asher had met with the Protectors first. Since Asher had remained on Skyhunter and knew who had been loyal to the clan and who had chosen to side with Marcus King, Honoria had deferred to him selecting the head Protector, Robin Driscoll.
Asher and Robin had been imprisoned together, and more importantly, had both survived mostly intact. Even if Robin and Honoria had never interacted much as youths, his trust in Asher was absolute. Meaning, if Asher trusted her at his side, Robin would, too. And between Robin and Asher’s support of her, others had warmed to the quasi-outsider being anointed their leader by the DDA’s mandate.
Robin was now at the back of the great hall, waiting for their signal. Honoria and Asher's first joint meeting was going to be flashy for a reason—to show they would be doing things in the open, allowing others to disagree with them without fear of punishment.
Well, as long as their disagreements didn't cause harm. The clan may already know about them being the new leaders, but it would be the first time Honoria and Asher met them all as such. She didn't think violence would erupt, and she hoped their plans for the evening would help prevent or discourage it.
Her dragon paced inside Honoria's mind. What's with all the dramatics? Dragons like honesty. That should be enough.
But the human halves want a leader who is more than your average person, hence adding a little dramatic flair.
If you say so.
Asher touched her arm and she glanced over. He murmured, "Ready?"
"Are you?"
He smiled. "Probably a bit less so since all I think about is wanting out of this blasted brace around my waist."
"Don't even think about taking it off. The muscles in your back aren't at full strength. Wearing the brace means you can stand longer than without it. And even if we don't plan on this meeting taking hours, it might go long, and I hardly think a clan leader lying prostrate on the floor will instill confidence."
"I wouldn't be on the bloody floor. We're fancy here on Skyhunter and have chairs now."
She narrowed her eyes. But before she could make a retort, Asher lowered his voice even further, to the point only she could hear it. "However, I'll keep it on. That way when the brace does come off, I can lay back, take it easy, and let you and your dragon take charge."
Her beast growled. I'll take him up on his offer. So hurry and conduct this meeting as fast as you can so I can ride him hard.
Hush. This can't be rushed.
But I want him.
You just want to beat his dragon.
No. Both human and dragon halves belong to us. I want to claim Asher and make it official.
Since her dragon would keep trying to make her case, Honoria focused back on Asher. She shrugged. "So you must mean I can tuck you in, say goodnight, walk away, and have you follow my orders, then yes, we can do that."
"Cheeky female."
She winked. "Always."
Asher chuckled, and the sound made her insides flip. He would never be the same male from over a decade ago, and she accepted it. But it was nice to hear him laugh again. She'd just have to try and make him do it more often.
Her beast huffed. That is another human thing. Fuck him often, and he'll be happy.
Honoria choked back a laugh and just in time as the clock outside the great hall chimed the hour. A few beats later, the main doors to the hall opened.
Taking a deep breath, Honoria stood tall and watched as the members of her clan filed in.
Yes, her clan. Well, hers and Asher's. Still, her heart skipped a beat at that thought. Skyhunter was indeed home again, and now it was up to her and Asher to make sure it survived.
Asher lightly touched her arm for support. They had both decided to keep their public displays of affection to when they were alone for the time being. Well, unless they trusted the people they were with not to use it against them. Otherwise, if they were open about their nonworking relationship with everyone, many of the clan members might start doubting Skyhunter's future, especially if their relationship fell to pieces.
Her dragon growled. It won't.
I don't think so either. But remember, these people have had a rough tim
e of it. And that's an understatement, to say the least.
Falling silent, her beast curled up at the back of her mind, the usual pose that meant she'd keep quiet and let Honoria settle the human things she didn't always understand.
Roughly three hundred sets of eyes ranging from tiny babies to grizzled, gray-haired great-grandparents stared at her and Asher. While only clan members were allowed on the hall floor, the other dragon-shifter leaders, as well as the DDA personnel, were watching from a secret room on the second floor, overlooking the space.
In other words, Asher and Honoria needed to impress everyone who mattered from the get-go.
Her and Asher had gone back and forth about who should speak first, weighing the pros and cons from every angle. In the end, they'd decided she should open the meeting.
Honoria stepped forward, watching everyone's face closely as she did so. Her speaking before Asher might stir the pot, but it was something they needed to do. If the people before her couldn't accept a female being in charge, then they'd have to be addressed as quickly as possible.
Raising a hand for silence, it fell quiet almost instantly. Given the meetings she remembered as a child, which had always taken several minutes to get into order, the action spoke volumes about how important this moment in time really was.
Honoria carefully projected her voice, to ensure everyone heard what she had to say. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I'm sure everyone has a lot of questions, or even maybe a few doubts, but Asher and I wanted to welcome everyone to Skyhunter 2.0. While some changes will be rolled out slowly, others will be happening as soon as possible. The goal is to make the clan more than a place to live. We want to make it home again, a place where a person wants to be rather than one where someone remains simply because they have nowhere else to go."
Asher jumped in before anyone from the crowd could ask a question. "Which brings us straight to the first point. Unlike the previous regime, no one is going to force you to remain here. If you wish to leave the clan permanently, you can." He waved toward the door. "In fact, if you aren't even going to give us a chance, then feel free to leave now. The DDA will even help you relocate to somewhere else. We'll give you sixty seconds to exit and leave us, starting now."
He signaled to Robin, who opened both of the giant doors to the hall. Murmurs went up in the crowd, but Honoria merely stood and waited. Some would be against a female being in charge, even if only partially, and this was the best way to get rid of them now.
A few of the older dragon-shifters shuffled out, as did one young couple she didn't recognize.
At the end of sixty seconds, Robin blared a horn and the doors closed again, thanks to the Protectors outside.
It was Honoria's turn again. "Right, with that out of the way, let's get down to answering the questions on everyone's mind. Yes, there are two of us. And yes, others will be acting as liaisons for various things to help us keep the clan running smoothly. However, your opinions are welcome and will be heard. We can't guarantee anything—after all, if someone suggests painting all the homes bright pink, I can't imagine Asher would agree to it—but we'll be fair."
Smiles broke on some of the faces, and it boosted Honoria's confidence. Her first attempt at proving she and Asher were different than the previous leader had worked.
Her dragon rolled her eyes but remained quiet. Any distraction, no matter how much she loved her beast, would be bad form at the moment.
Asher's voice filled the hall. "Some of you may be hesitant about my surname being King." He paused to tug off his shirt. Given how much Asher hated showing the scar on his pec, it proved to Honoria he'd do anything for the clan. Asher continued, "I'm sure everyone's seen the K on my chest. I was imprisoned and tortured for speaking out against Marcus's policies. For five long years, I endured it all to prove how much I disapproved of him, never caving. Not even when this brand was seared into my chest did I agree with his ruthless ways. If this scar on my chest isn't enough proof to show how different I am, then I hope you will at least give me a chance. I don't need absolute loyalty as the former leader did, but if anyone does something to threaten Skyhunter's survival, then we'll deal with it promptly."
He paused to survey the room slowly. Honoria didn't flinch at Asher's stern looks, but a few of the people in the audience did a double-take. No doubt, they were contrasting Asher now to the carefree teenager he'd once been.
Not that it was a bad change. Honoria rather liked his serious side at times.
Only once he'd scanned the entire room did he continue. "Also, Skyhunter won't be isolated from the other clans in the UK any longer. Working together is important, especially as dragon-shifters have enemies across the entire UK. While we're a tough bunch of dragons, a full-out assault from either the dragon hunters or Dragon Knights could bring us to our knees without allies."
There were a few murmurs, but Honoria couldn't tell if they were good or bad ones.
Together, they would need to find some community liaisons to help gauge the clan's moods. She added it to her ever-growing list of things to do.
Asher stared until the noise died down. "And lastly, we'll never be allowed to participate in the sacrifice program, either, to help rebuild our population until the Department of Dragon Affairs is convinced we're a safe, stable group of dragons. Which means all of our goals should be the same—to make Skyhunter the best dragon clan in the UK. Given our competition, it won't be easy, but I think we can do it."
Honoria had expected a few claps, but cheers rose up from the crowd. Looking from nods, to smiles, to even a few skeptical gazes, Honoria let out a breath. They were far from perfect, and there was still a long way to go before Skyhunter reached its potential, but the reaction was a good start. Because from a few seeds of hope, maybe trust and prosperity would bloom.
Her dragon grunted, wanting to comment. But she kept her promise to stay silent.
After a minute, Honoria raised her hand and the noise died down again. "We'll move into the leader's cottage by tomorrow and will open our doors as soon as possible to hear grievances or concerns. But there is one more thing we want to do right away, and that's get to know the other clans in the UK. Lochguard and Stonefire have offered to throw us a celebration banquet and dance next week, and we've accepted. It will allow you to mingle with some of the other clans, maybe meet someone with similar interests, or even someone with knowledge you can use for your own efforts here. But we can talk of business and what needs to be done soon enough. For a few days, settle down, take a deep breath, and start planning your future. Because if Asher and I have our way, it'll be a bright one."
People clapped, although not quite as enthusiastically as earlier. No doubt, they were nervous about meeting dragon-shifters from other parts of the UK. After all, Marcus King had spent almost two decades demonizing them every chance he had.
Her dragon raised her head. But we can fix it.
Asher dismissed the crowd, assuring them they would take questions as soon as possible. Robin and his Protectors efficiently escorted everyone out of the hall.
Once it was just them and Robin, Honoria leaned over and kissed Asher. "You did brilliantly."
"So did you."
"And fewer people chose to leave the clan than I had guessed. Although, I don't think it's a bad thing."
Bram's voice echoed in the hall, letting them know the others had come down from the second floor. "Aye, it went well. But the true test will be the celebration next week. Speaking of which, Finn and I are going to return home until then. I suspect it'll be easier to get things going without us breathing down your necks."
Finn snorted. "That's a nice cover story. I know you just want to go home to your mate."
Bram frowned. "Of course I do. But there's a rational reason, too."
Honoria jumped in before Finn could reply. "The reasons don't matter. I think it'll be easier to get a feel for the clan if you two aren't here." She sought out the DDA female's gaze. "And while I know you don't ta
ke orders from us, you leaving would also be a big help."
The human didn't hesitate to bob her head. "I agree. And the fact you didn't order me to leave already raises my opinion of you slightly." The human's face turned serious. "However, I want to impart how delicate Skyhunter's status is with the DDA. I know there will be small rumbles, but if it becomes out of control, we may have no choice but to break up the clan and seize the lands."
Honoria's dragon growled, but she replied to the human before her dragon started ranting. "We understand. I only hope you'll give us a fair chance."
The human nodded. "I will. Now, I should probably head off and start making my report—the trials themselves have created a mountain of paperwork. However, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I know some DDA employees see dragon-shifters as a liability, but I think they can be allies. Maybe one day, we can work closely together."
Asher grunted at her side, but Honoria smiled widely. "We'd like that."
The human made her goodbyes, leaving them alone with Finn, Bram, and Robin. Finn spoke first. "We'll be going in just a second. But I'll impart one piece of wisdom before I go. I, too, had to deal with a difficult transition when I took over Lochguard. However, with hard work and love for your people, it does get easier. Well, most of the time. I'm sure you remember my cousin Fraser, aye? Family doesn't always follow orders like they should."
At the mention of family, Honoria's longing for her absent cousins surged forth. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could get them to come to the celebration next week.
Bram slapped Finn on the shoulder. "You can offer more advice next week. Let's go and leave these two to handle things here."
The two leaders left, and after making plans to meet with Robin the next morning, Honoria and Asher headed toward Asher's cottage. It would be their last night there before moving into the cottage designated for clan leaders.
However, once they reached his place, neither one of them had the energy to do more than lie down and cuddle before they drifted off to sleep. Even though Honoria's mind was whirling with thoughts, just having Asher's heat and scent surrounding her helped to calm her. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
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